PERHAPS a dislike for Jeremy Corbyn, now ex leader of the Labour Party is affecting Marianne Taylor's ability to make a balanced judgment on the Corbyn years ("Why Starmer is the right choice at the right time", The Herald, April 6).
From the outset he had an uphill struggle from day one even though he was overwhelmingly voted in twice as party leader. There were influential figures in the party past and present, who would never accept him as leader and over the years would undermine him at every opportunity, even if it meant letting the Tories back into power. He was a principled individual who consistently voted against unjust wars and for nuclear disarmament, and he managed to inspire thousands of people to join the Labour Party, making it the biggest political party in Europe, by promoting radical policies to make the system work for the majority of the people not the few which brought on the wrath of the right wing media and commentators.
He was the only leader of any political party at the last election that stood on the platform of ending austerity and all its consequences, pointing out that it was always a political decision not financial which has been borne out at this present time. Labour came close to winning the election in 2017 with millions of voters returning to the party.
What did for Labour at the 2019 General Election was its complete U-turn on the Brexit vote. In its 2017 manifesto it promised to respect the vote and fight to get the best deal for working people, but consequently it shifted its position to support a People’s Vote. Going further it, then moved into being a Remain party leaving thousands of Labour voters in Leave constituencies feeling betrayed, then come election time, of the 54 seats the Tories took from Labour, 52 were in Leave constituencies.
Who was one of the main architects of this shift in policy? None other than the Brexit spokesman, the new leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer ("Starmer gives foreign brief to Nandy but Long-Bailey out in the cold", The Herald, April 6). The man who inadvertently helped the Tories to their landslide victory is now top dog.
It really makes you wonder if Sir Keir is the right man at the right time.
Stuart Jackson, Glasgow G33.
I HAD a "Boris moment" when I watched Keir Starmer on the Andrew Marr Show (April 5). I never thought much of Boris Johnson before he became Prime Minister or Sir Keir before Labour leader but I was impressed by his willingness to engage constructively with the Government on Covid-19 and beyond.
I also get the feeling he's up for the brutal task of riding the party of the Momentum influence that lost it a swathe of votes and goodwill.
I was also greatly encouraged by new Scottish Labour leader Jackie Baillie's performance on Sunday Politics Scotland. I'm sure she will bring some sanity to her Holyrood colleagues, avoid their impending wipeout in next year's Holyrood election and enable Scottish Labour to do its bit in ridding Scotland of the SNP and the Indyref2 albatross around our necks.
Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.
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